Baseball glove



Jan. 7, 1947. J TURNER 2,414,004

BASEBALL-GLOVE Filed Feb. 5. 1945 .J/zdezazbr dwizzbald J7Zzr/ze/ Patented Jan. 7, 1947 Archibald J.

Turner, Chicago,

Ill., assignor to Wilson Athletic Goods Mtg. 00., Inc., Chicago, 111., a corporation oi. Delaware Application February 5, 1945, Serial No. 576,276

5 Claims.

reduced.

In the present design of a baseball glove it has been recognized that due to the desirable amount, of the glove adjacent the little known base ball gloves. been recognized that the mutual assistance of the finger forces and even the force of the calmht ball can be utilized to foster gripping action in a baseball glove without losing glove characteristics as compared to a mitt, and without sacrificing the desirable padding of a glove.

Another factor of consideration in this design of a baseball glove in the gripping of the ball by the caught ball aids in the gripping force applied thereto.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a baseball glove having a relatively deep and eifective ball catching pocket in which a ball may be caught without absorbing the impact of the ball flatly against a, portion of the wearer's hand.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following dedrawing, in which:

tecting portion by an glove embodying a preferred form of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the baseball glove shown in Fig. 1 in which the preferred position of the hand is indicated; and

Fig. 3 is a top perspective view drawn to a reduced scale which indicates a preferred manner of catching a ball with the glove shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the exemplary embodiment of my baseball glove which is'iliustrated ,in the accompanying ering portion I2 which includes an end strap l3 such as a button M,

The front hand protecting portion ID of the glove has an outer palm piece l5 from one side or which finger stalls I6 and IT project in closely spaced and substantially parallel relation. 58-.

cured to the palm such that the wearer's thumb is normally spread away from the rest of the hand.

It is to be particularly noted that the spacing of the thumb stall l8 from the finger stall l6 applies throughout the lengths of the stalls in that such. stalls are relatively widely spaced at their bases and between which the palm piece termihates. in a relatively long free edge l5 extending substantially normal to said stalls. Thus, the free palm edge and adjacent sides of the stalls I6 and I8 provide a ball receiving opening which as later described is covered by a flexible web, which together with the palm piece and stalls provides a ball receiving pocket.

As is usual in baseball gloves of the type disclosed, the thumb stall I 8 and the edge portion of the finger stall I! are quite heavily padded. Likewise, other parts of the glove such as the palm portion and thumb and finger stalls are padded to various degrees in different parts to provide desirable protection and contour. padding is held inplace within the hand proinner lining piece I9 secured in place by means including lacing 20.

v In the illustrated form of my baseball glove,

Fig. 1 is a, front perspective view 'of a baseball the rear hand covering portion I2 is desirably and finger stalls are I sired gripping action.

contoured to fit the hand and to allow ample room in the finger stalls by constructing it of a plurality of separate pieces secured together by suitable seams. This construction provides streamlined and forwardly curved finger stalls and is shown and described more fully in. my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,231,204 issued Feb. 11, 1941, and entitled Baseball glove.

Connecting the thumb and first finger stalls and practically filling the space therebetween is a flexible web 22. Although there are various ways in which this'web could be constructed to provide the desired flexibility and characteristics, it is considered preferable in the disclosed form that the web includes a, plurality of fiat flexible strips 23, 24 and 25 each of which has substantially tubular side portions 26 formed by folding the longitudinal side edges inwardly toward the center of the strip and sewing those edges to the body of the strip as indicated at 21.

A lace 29 desirably comprising a leather thong extends through suitable eyelets such as 28 in the thumb and first finger stalls and is laced back and forth through the tubular side portions 26 of the strips 23, 24 and 25, being tied as at 290. to secure the parts in place and determine the spacing between the thumb and first fimger stalls. It is considered additionally desirable that the mid-portions of the flexible strips 23, 24 and 25 are secured together by a transverse flexible strip 30 having loops through which the thong is laced,

In accordance with this invention, it is understood that various combinations of finger stalls may be used with those stalls adapted to accommodate one or more of the wearer's fingers. In view of the fact that the padding is desirably quite heavy along the edge of the glove adjacent the stall for the little or fourth finger so that the flexibility of that stall is reduced. and since the little or fourth finger is weaker than the others, it is deemed preferable that the stall for that finger shall also accommodate the adjacent finger, By this construction the gripping action of the two adjacent fingers mutually aids to flex the stifier portion of the glove and provide the de- In the disclosed glove, II are each adapted to accommodate two adjacent fingers. In addition, although considered optional, the adjacent finger stalls l6 and II are flexibly secured together near the ends thereof by a thong 3| laced through suitable eyelets in the side portions of the finger stalls and tied securely in place. With this tie the gripping action of all the fingers is mutually assisting.

In addition to the fact that the thumb stall I8 is desirably so disposed and spaced from the nearer finger stall l6, that the space between those stalls exceeds the diameter of a standard baseball, the length of the flexible strip 23 connecting the ends of the stalls is desirably such that the spread of the fingers determined thereby is limited so that although the thumb is spread away from the hand, the fingers are held in a curved position forming a cup or pocket. Consistent with this curvature and the formation of a pocket, the flexible strips 24 and 25 are desirably of a length such that they are normally bowed readwardly of the glove as shown in Fig. 3.

Due to the relative dispositions of the thumb andfirstflngerstallswithrespecttothepalm portion of the glove and the padding of the palm portion, a relatively deep pocket is naturally the finger stalls I5 and 4 formed with the coacting parts thereof comprising the thumb and first finger stalls. the flexible web and the palm portion of the glove.

With the glove pocket thus defined, the preferred manner of catching a ball is indicated in Fig. 3; the ball being indicated in dotted lines at 32 and the path of the ball being indicated in dot-.and-dash lines at 33. As shown in this fi ure of thr. drawing, the flexible web 22 faces the path of the ball. In this position the surfaces of the thumb, palm and fingers are all normally disposed in acute angular relation to the path of the ball so that the impact of the ball is absorbed without the full force thereof being flatly against any part of the wearer's hand. In addition, and since the normal spacing between the thumb and first finger stalls is greater than the diameter of a standard basebell, the web 22 aids in stopping the ball and its flexure, which is produced by the force of the ball, draws the thumb and first finger stalls toward gripping engagement with the ball.

Although the invention has been described in connection with the specific details of preferred embodiment thereof, it must be understood that such details are not intended to be limitative of the invention except insofar as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A baseball glove comprising, in combination, front and rear hand protecting and covering portions including a palm portion, a pair of adjacent finger stalls and a thumb stall projecting from the palm portion, the palm portion having a relatively long free edge connecting and widely spacing the bases of the thumbs and finger stalls, each of said finger stalls being of a size to accommodate two adjacent fingers, flexible means providing a tie between said finger stalls so that the gripping action of the fingers in one stall mutually assists that of the fingers in the other, a relatively long flexible web extending lengthwise of said free edge and connecting the thumb stall and the nearer finger stall, the length of said web being such that the force of a caught ball against the front surface thereof flexes the web and thereby draws the thumb and nearer finger stall toward each other and opposite sides of the ball.

2. A baseball glove in which a ball is adapted to be caught between the thumb and fingers while the gripping surfaces of the thumb, palm and fingers'of the gloved hand are held in generally acute angular relation to the path of the caught ball to form a relatively deep ball receiving peck. et and comprising front and rear hand protecting and covering portions including a palm protecting part, a thumb stall and finger stalls projecting from the palm protecting part, the palm protecting part having a relatively long free edge connecting and widely spacing the bases of the thumb stall and an adjacent finger stall, at least one of said finger stalls being of a. width to accommodate a pair of adjacent fingers, said thumb stall having a ball gripping surface normally facing generally toward ball gripping surfaces of the finger stalls, said thumb and adjacent finger stalls being spaced a distance greater than the diameter of a. standard baseball, 9. flexible web extending lengthwise of said free edge and connecting and substantially filling the space between the thumb and adjacent finger stalls, said flexible web being of a length such that the fingers are normally curved to form a pocket. means tying adjacent finger stalls together so that gripping movements of the fingers mutually assist each other, said glove being normally adapted to be held in a ball catching position such that the web faces generally toward the path of the ball and said gripping surfaces and palm protecting part are normally'disposed in generally acute angular relation to the said path of the ball.

3. A baseball glove comprising, in combination, front and rear hand protecting and-covering portions including a palm protecting part, closely spaced finger stalls adjoining one side of the palm protecting part and a thumb stall at a distance across the palm protecting part from the finger stalls greater than the diameter of a standard baseball, the palm protecting part having a relatively long free edge extending between the bases of the thumb stall and an adjacent finger stall, a fiexible web extending lengthwise of Y said free edge and connecting and practically filling the space between the thumb stall andnearest finger stall, the portion of said web near the free edge of the palm protecting part of the glove being normally bowed rearwardly of the glove, and the portion of said web near the ends of the connected stalls being of a length such that it holds said connected stalls, the palm protecting .part and said web in caught whereby the hand is normally held angularly sidewise impact of the ball against the web draws the connected thumb and finger stalls together to effect gripping action.

4. A baseball glove comprising, in combination, front and rear hand protecting and covering portions including a palmprotecting part, closely spaced finger stalls projecting in substantially parallel relation from one side of the palm proso as normally to spread the wearers thumb widely away from the fingers, the palm protecting part having a relatively long free edge intermediate the bases of the thumb stall and an adjacent finger stall, flexible to the path of the ball so that the wearers hand. means providing a tie,

between adjacent finger stalls so that gripping assists another, a web ex- 1 that it is normally bowed rearwardly of the glove,

another of said strips being near the ends of the connected thumb and finger stalls and being of a length such that it prevents spreading of said connected thumb and finger stalls beyond positions in which said palm protecting part, said web and the connected thumb and finger stalls are normally cupped to form a pocket with their gripping surfaces normally facing one another.

5. A baseball glove comprising, in combination, front and rear glove forming parts including a palm portion, a pair of closely spaced finger stalls projecting in substantially parallel relation from one side of the palm portion and one of which is adapted to hold at least one finger in addition to the little finger of the wearer and a thumb stall projecting from 'the palm portion and spaced from the finger stalls a distance greater than the diameter of a standard baseball so as normallyto spread the wearersthumb widely away from the fingers, the palm portion having a relatively long free edge interconnecting the bases of the thumb stall and an adjacent finger stall, a flexible web extending lengthwise of said free edge and connecting and practically closing the space between said thumb stall-and the nearest finger stall, said web comprising a tie having a plurality one 01' said strands being near the free edge of the palm portion, another of said strands being connected to said thumb and finger stalls near the ends thereof and being of a length such that it holds the connected thumb and finger stalls in relative positions such that they normally form with said web and palm portion a pocket wherein a ball may be caught without the full impact being absorbed flatly against any portion of the ARCHIBALD J. TURNER.

of interconnected strands, 

